African-American Literature - A Sound Theory of Blackness: African American Literature & Music

An exploration of sonic theory and the African American literary tradition from the 19th century through the millennium with special emphasis placed on major debates in jazz studies and a critical (re)examination of blues ideologies, as well as the politics and poetics of R&B and soul, funk, Afrofuturism, punk, pop and hip hop. Course participants will place the work of a range of cultural theorists (Douglass, DuBois, Adorno, Hurston, Ellison, Murray, Baraka, Henderson, Williams, Mackey, Spillers, O'Meally, Griffin, Moten, Edwards, Radano, Nancy, Szendy, Perry, Weheliye, Neal etc.) in conversation with key works and epochs in black letters.

Sample reading list:Frederick Douglass,
Narrative of the Life of Frederick DouglassFred Moten,
In the Break: The Black Radical TraditionRalph Ellison,
Invisible ManNina Simone,
I Put A Spell on YouFarah Jasmine Griffin,
If You Can't Be Free, Be A MysteryTheodor W. Adorno,
Essays on Music
See instructor for complete list